My 12" PB can power an external 2.5" drive containing a iTunes library and charge an iPod. Can I do the same with a non-powered hub?
Or can the Air power an external keyboard and charge an iPod at the same time?
From the iPod manual:
Answer to question 1: Probably not...?
Answer to question 2: No it can't, but it can... If you buy/have a bluetooth keyboard, you don't need the MBA to power the keyboard in the first place and instead, it can power up the iPod.
The MBA comes with a high-power USB 2.0 port (as noted in the manual and by several reviewers, because otherwise it would not be able to power Apple external DVD drive).
Actually, the CPU tests have been published as well, but they're largely irrelevant to the question he asked - how SSD performance compared to HD performance.
I haven't seen battery tests, but I suspect people will be disappointed. Let's say the hard disk is 10% of the power usage and SSD is half of the HD. That means a 5% savings - which falls into the noise level. My guess may be low, but I don't think the difference will be more than 10%, at best.
I suspect you may be right. According to Samsung, active power on one of their flash devices is a little over 25% of a comparable HDD but you also need to consider that flash wakes from sleep a lot faster than a disk spins up. However: either device is likely to be a tiny fraction of overall system power if everything is in full active mode.
In case anyone's wondering why SSD isn't dramatically faster especially on sequential writes, flash doesn't like having the same area repeatedly written, so flash "disk" controllers have to do extra work on writes, to ensure the same areas are not being repeatedly used. And also, writes are actually erase-write cycles which are relatively slow.
Why or why couldn't they have made a MBP 12" instead of or in addition to the Air?
Quote:
Originally Posted by lundy
Because it wouldn't sell. When the MacBook has a bigger screen and is cheaper... customers would compare the two and scratch their heads - "WTF is this one for? It's smaller and more expensive...?"
I don't agree with lundy and do agree with kenstee. But we all have different needs. Here's mine...
I want a fully fledged MBP but with a small footprint. If we took the old 12" full sized keyboard but reduced the screen to 16 by 10 (wide format) we'd have a diagonal of 11.42". That would be perfect as I currently carry around an 8.9" JVC Mini Note PC but need a Mac.
I don't see why Apple can't build one of these - a fully spec'ed small and light laptop:
But you were complaining that a USB hub would impact portability. I don't see how a hub reduces portability any more than a mouse does. Both require you to set down at a table, connecting up external devices and operating from that set location. To me portability is to plop down anywhere, open up the MB and getting to work without connecting any external devices or even needing a table.
I would also look very closely at the MBA if you intend to do extensive 3D graphics with Maya.* This might be the wrong computer for that kind of work.
* I had to Google Maya to determine what you were referencing. I took the top response, a 3D graphic program.
You should read all of my posts. I stated very clearly that I was not the intended market and do not intend to purchase the air. I never did. If anything, for me, the most exciting thing about the Air is that it gives clues in what we can expect a redesigned Macbook Pro to look like, which will be my next computer purchase.
Good idea asking for community feedback on how the MBA should be evaluated. When the Asus EEE PC came out, another device that wasn't truly comparable to "competing" laptops, it drove me nuts reading all the comments at various review sites about how it shouldn't be compared to this and shouldn't be compared to that. No one could figure out how it should be evaluated. You seem to realize that the most important evaluation contrasts the device to what target users want. So, as someone who may fall into the target user group, here are my questions:
1) I hear the USB port supplies more than the standard USB spec power. Since some people will want to connect to more than one USB device simultaneously, how many devices can be powered off of it? For example, if you plug in an external hard drive and Apple's USB superdrive to an unpowered USB hub, can all three devices run off the power supplied by the MBA? What about a USB flash drive or a flash card reader instead of a hard drive? What effect does this expansion have on battery life?
2) I agree with other requesters about some kind of info about ruggedness. While I don't think a drop test is necessary, some reviewers comment on screen flex and creakyness, for example. Does the case creak when lifting it by the thin end with the screen open?
3) I've heard about how the screen comes up immediately when it is opened. What does this mean, exactly? If the lights come on fast but the unit is still booting or restoring from sleep mode, I'm not overly impressed by this capability. If the unit actually boots or restores more quickly, then this feature is significant to me.
4) Are external batteries an option? I know there are external batteries (e.g. e.g. Maxpower from Lind Electronics) that work with various laptops through their wall wart inputs. Does someone make a similar battery with the magsafe connector? If so, external batteries could quiet some of the battery life and replacability complaints.
4) Are external batteries an option? I know there are external batteries (e.g. e.g. Maxpower from Lind Electronics) that work with various laptops through their wall wart inputs. Does someone make a similar battery with the magsafe connector? If so, external batteries could quiet some of the battery life and replacability complaints.
BatteryGeek (http://www.batterygeek.net/) makes some excellent external batteries that use magsafe connectors if you want. I never understand swapping batteries when I can just plug in a 10+ hour puppy like these (or 6 or 3 hour ones).
1. It feels more sturdy and less flimsy (note: less cheap!) than my $1000+ 15" Dell notebook. Very solid, the Aluminum is nice.
2. Its considerably smaller and much, much lighter than my 15" Dell, but at the same time there is almost NO compromise with Screen Size and Keyboard. The MBA screen is almost as large as my Dell's seemingly, I have not noticed much of a difference going from one to the other. I picked up my Dell the other day after using the MBA for a few days, and honestly, it felt like a gigantic, bulky, brick!
3. Its fast and there are no bugs. No trackpad errors, nothing. I have parallels running with XP and several other apps like PS CS3, Logic 8, and Final Cut Pro 6. All aps run flawlessly with no lag, even when I have Parallels running XP at the same time.
4. Its definitely very, very portable! It makes a regular Macbook look large! Whats nice is that its uber-portable (smaller than a real book or notebook, the paper kind), yet it doesn't compromise and is full size. Apple hit a home run and made it the perfect size, they knew what they were doing.
5. The battery last at least 4 hours, if not very close to 5. Anything saying less is a lie. Then again, who listens to continuous loops of music playing for 2.5 hours while browsing the web with full brightness on? There's a reason we have iPods and screen brightness controls (to conserve battery).
6. It is whisper quiet. Its so quiet, you wonder if its even on sometimes. I've never heard a laptop so quiet. My Dell sounds like a Navy Aircraft next to the MBA. My girlfriend made a comment about this the other day, she was astonished by how quiet it is, and she is definitely not a techie, but she can appreciate good design.
Overall, its an amazing portable. Best Laptop I have ever owned hands-down. Its even better than my Powerbook G4 was at the time that I bought that laptop, and the G4 cost me almost $3000 back in those days. Its an amazing value honestly. The $1700 I paid (student discount) honestly feels cheap for such a great portable. The look, the feel, the performance, everything was executed very well. Nice touches like the backlit keyboard. Feels more expensive than it really is and makes you feel like you got it at a bargain!
Don't listen to the BS out there. The MBA is even better than I expected. Truly the best portable I have ever owned.
Out of curiosity, how much space would it have required to insert a second speaker?
Seriously now, do you expect a 10.2 surround sound experience from a laptop?
Sure, two would have been nice, but 1 is okay, it doesn't bother me. Who really listens to music on laptops for hours or watches movies on laptops with the sound blasting? Talk about being inconsiderate to others AND sounding crappy no matter what brand laptop your on.
If you want to listend to music on the go, buy an ipod or buy nice headphones as not to disturb others. Also, u can buy portable speakers if your in a hotel or something. If you want to watch a movie, do the same. Its that easy.
I was trying out the MBA and I thought that one mono speaker was pretty good. Obviously, NOT AS good as two (stereo) speakers, but acceptable. As mentioned earlier, only weird thing is that it is slightly to the right of the center of the keyboard which makes it sound kinda weird. In my opinion, a design error by Apple (they could have done better), but I understand why, there really is no space for anything else inside.
However, if you use your MBA to listen to music, just get a nice pair of headphones or earbuds. I'm just a regular student so for me, Apple's earbuds work good enough.
However, having read a few reviews, it seems the built-in microphone is mono as well and apparently not good enough for podcasting or video blogging? Any opinions of that, cause I don't wanna wear a headset while I make a video log...
I was trying out the MBA and I thought that one mono speaker was pretty good. Obviously, NOT AS good as two (stereo) speakers, but acceptable. As mentioned earlier, only weird thing is that it is slightly to the right of the center of the keyboard which makes it sound kinda weird. In my opinion, a design error by Apple (they could have done better), but I understand why, there really is no space for anything else inside.
However, if you use your MBA to listen to music, just get a nice pair of headphones or earbuds. I'm just a regular student so for me, Apple's earbuds work good enough.
However, having read a few reviews, it seems the built-in microphone is mono as well and apparently not good enough for podcasting or video blogging? Any opinions of that, cause I don't wanna wear a headset while I make a video log...
mono should work fine. alot of recoding are made to be "collapsible" into mono so that vocals don't disappear on cheapo speakers. it has happened when people are careless. i'm sure the quality of the mic is fine, if they can fit a good one in a phone, they can fit it in a 13" laptop
Seriously now, do you expect a 10.2 surround sound experience from a laptop?
Sure, two would have been nice, but 1 is okay, it doesn't bother me. Who really listens to music on laptops for hours or watches movies on laptops with the sound blasting? Talk about being inconsiderate to others AND sounding crappy no matter what brand laptop your on.
If you want to listend to music on the go, buy an ipod or buy nice headphones as not to disturb others. Also, u can buy portable speakers if your in a hotel or something. If you want to watch a movie, do the same. Its that easy.
I FREQUENTLY listen to music (iTunes) on my laptop. Anytime I'm working in a hotel or private area, I will frequently have music playing in the background. I am not alone either. Many people also like to listen to music while working. Perhaps you are less common than you think.
Lugging around speakers lessens portability, and I don't like the idea of having earbuds in my ears for four hours every day.
I am not expecting a 7.1 surround sound system, and my post never implied that. I am simply asking how much space it would have required. It certainly would have increased weight by only an ounce or two.
I FREQUENTLY listen to music (iTunes) on my laptop. Anytime I'm working in a hotel or private area, I will frequently have music playing in the background. I am not alone either. Many people also like to listen to music while working. Perhaps you are less common than you think.
Lugging around speakers lessens portability, and I don't like the idea of having earbuds in my ears for four hours every day.
I am not expecting a 7.1 surround sound system, and my post never implied that. I am simply asking how much space it would have required. It certainly would have increased weight by only an ounce or two.
I'm sure if it was posible they would have done it, why would they make such an awesome laptop to skimp a speaker? the single speaker does sound pretty good though.
They had to hit the 3.0 pound mark. 3.1 pounds isn't the same when it comes to marketing - as reviews will call it "3+ pounds", "slightly over 3 pounds", etc.
I'm sure they would have hit 2.9 pounds if they could possibly have arranged it.
I have just played with my first MacBook Air in Apple's flagship store on London's Regent Street. I saw both the HDD and SSD versions. Jaw dropping is the only way to describe this machine. It is truly state-of-the-art.
There are five points to make about it:
1. Attach a USB 2.0 hub and you can run the DVD drive, an Ethernet dongle/ USB wireless data card, a hard disk drive for back up and a printer easily
2. Better still, buy Time Capsule and you have the same functionality without the hassle of wires and stuff sticking out from it.
3. The gesture touch pad is simply brilliant
4. The keyboard together with the screen size and brightness are so astonishing that it is easy to forget that this is a sub-notebook
5. SSD is noticeably faster than HDD in terms of booting up and loading. period.
If you primarily work with Office documents, email, the internet and have your music on iTunes,then I believe this could be your only computer.
Apple has omitted Ethenet and a DVD drive for very good reasons - they are yesterday's technology. Very soon Apple is going to do for movies what it has already done for music.
The form factor simply oozes "I want one". Brilliant.
As good as the current MacBook Pro and MacBook are, the MacBook Air makes them both look prehistoric. Any update of the MacBook Pro that doesn't provide the new keyboard, gesture touch pad and a thinner, lighter case design won't be enough, so won't sell.
1. Attach a USB 2.0 hub and you can run the DVD drive, an Ethernet dongle/ USB wireless data card, a hard disk drive for back up and a printer easily
Have you actually done this? The DVD drive takes more power than USB spec, there's no guarantee that the hub you use will supply it. USB ports on hubs are supposed to have protection circuitry to prevent current overdraw. If that circuitry isn't there, then there might be a chance the hub will be damaged.
1. It feels more sturdy and less flimsy (note: less cheap!) than my $1000+ 15" Dell notebook. Very solid, the Aluminum is nice.
2. Its considerably smaller and much, much lighter than my 15" Dell, but at the same time there is almost NO compromise with Screen Size and Keyboard. The MBA screen is almost as large as my Dell's seemingly, I have not noticed much of a difference going from one to the other. I picked up my Dell the other day after using the MBA for a few days, and honestly, it felt like a gigantic, bulky, brick!
3. Its fast and there are no bugs. No trackpad errors, nothing. I have parallels running with XP and several other apps like PS CS3, Logic 8, and Final Cut Pro 6. All aps run flawlessly with no lag, even when I have Parallels running XP at the same time.
4. Its definitely very, very portable! It makes a regular Macbook look large! Whats nice is that its uber-portable (smaller than a real book or notebook, the paper kind), yet it doesn't compromise and is full size. Apple hit a home run and made it the perfect size, they knew what they were doing.
5. The battery last at least 4 hours, if not very close to 5. Anything saying less is a lie. Then again, who listens to continuous loops of music playing for 2.5 hours while browsing the web with full brightness on? There's a reason we have iPods and screen brightness controls (to conserve battery).
6. It is whisper quiet. Its so quiet, you wonder if its even on sometimes. I've never heard a laptop so quiet. My Dell sounds like a Navy Aircraft next to the MBA. My girlfriend made a comment about this the other day, she was astonished by how quiet it is, and she is definitely not a techie, but she can appreciate good design.
Overall, its an amazing portable. Best Laptop I have ever owned hands-down. Its even better than my Powerbook G4 was at the time that I bought that laptop, and the G4 cost me almost $3000 back in those days. Its an amazing value honestly. The $1700 I paid (student discount) honestly feels cheap for such a great portable. The look, the feel, the performance, everything was executed very well. Nice touches like the backlit keyboard. Feels more expensive than it really is and makes you feel like you got it at a bargain!
Don't listen to the BS out there. The MBA is even better than I expected. Truly the best portable I have ever owned.
This sounds like my post (that I haven't made yet!) right down to the 15" Dell. I am using this Air more than I am the Dell now. And zero flaws or problems so far.
Comments
I does if it needs to be powered.
My 12" PB can power an external 2.5" drive containing a iTunes library and charge an iPod. Can I do the same with a non-powered hub?
Or can the Air power an external keyboard and charge an iPod at the same time?
From the iPod manual:
Answer to question 1: Probably not...?
Answer to question 2: No it can't, but it can... If you buy/have a bluetooth keyboard, you don't need the MBA to power the keyboard in the first place and instead, it can power up the iPod.
The MBA comes with a high-power USB 2.0 port (as noted in the manual and by several reviewers, because otherwise it would not be able to power Apple external DVD drive).
Actually, the CPU tests have been published as well, but they're largely irrelevant to the question he asked - how SSD performance compared to HD performance.
I haven't seen battery tests, but I suspect people will be disappointed. Let's say the hard disk is 10% of the power usage and SSD is half of the HD. That means a 5% savings - which falls into the noise level. My guess may be low, but I don't think the difference will be more than 10%, at best.
I suspect you may be right. According to Samsung, active power on one of their flash devices is a little over 25% of a comparable HDD but you also need to consider that flash wakes from sleep a lot faster than a disk spins up. However: either device is likely to be a tiny fraction of overall system power if everything is in full active mode.
In case anyone's wondering why SSD isn't dramatically faster especially on sequential writes, flash doesn't like having the same area repeatedly written, so flash "disk" controllers have to do extra work on writes, to ensure the same areas are not being repeatedly used. And also, writes are actually erase-write cycles which are relatively slow.
Why or why couldn't they have made a MBP 12" instead of or in addition to the Air?
Because it wouldn't sell. When the MacBook has a bigger screen and is cheaper... customers would compare the two and scratch their heads - "WTF is this one for? It's smaller and more expensive...?"
I don't agree with lundy and do agree with kenstee. But we all have different needs. Here's mine...
I want a fully fledged MBP but with a small footprint. If we took the old 12" full sized keyboard but reduced the screen to 16 by 10 (wide format) we'd have a diagonal of 11.42". That would be perfect as I currently carry around an 8.9" JVC Mini Note PC but need a Mac.
I don't see why Apple can't build one of these - a fully spec'ed small and light laptop:
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=3698
Cheers Daniel
But you were complaining that a USB hub would impact portability. I don't see how a hub reduces portability any more than a mouse does. Both require you to set down at a table, connecting up external devices and operating from that set location. To me portability is to plop down anywhere, open up the MB and getting to work without connecting any external devices or even needing a table.
I would also look very closely at the MBA if you intend to do extensive 3D graphics with Maya.* This might be the wrong computer for that kind of work.
* I had to Google Maya to determine what you were referencing. I took the top response, a 3D graphic program.
You should read all of my posts. I stated very clearly that I was not the intended market and do not intend to purchase the air. I never did. If anything, for me, the most exciting thing about the Air is that it gives clues in what we can expect a redesigned Macbook Pro to look like, which will be my next computer purchase.
1) I hear the USB port supplies more than the standard USB spec power. Since some people will want to connect to more than one USB device simultaneously, how many devices can be powered off of it? For example, if you plug in an external hard drive and Apple's USB superdrive to an unpowered USB hub, can all three devices run off the power supplied by the MBA? What about a USB flash drive or a flash card reader instead of a hard drive? What effect does this expansion have on battery life?
2) I agree with other requesters about some kind of info about ruggedness. While I don't think a drop test is necessary, some reviewers comment on screen flex and creakyness, for example. Does the case creak when lifting it by the thin end with the screen open?
3) I've heard about how the screen comes up immediately when it is opened. What does this mean, exactly? If the lights come on fast but the unit is still booting or restoring from sleep mode, I'm not overly impressed by this capability. If the unit actually boots or restores more quickly, then this feature is significant to me.
4) Are external batteries an option? I know there are external batteries (e.g. e.g. Maxpower from Lind Electronics) that work with various laptops through their wall wart inputs. Does someone make a similar battery with the magsafe connector? If so, external batteries could quiet some of the battery life and replacability complaints.
4) Are external batteries an option? I know there are external batteries (e.g. e.g. Maxpower from Lind Electronics) that work with various laptops through their wall wart inputs. Does someone make a similar battery with the magsafe connector? If so, external batteries could quiet some of the battery life and replacability complaints.
BatteryGeek (http://www.batterygeek.net/) makes some excellent external batteries that use magsafe connectors if you want. I never understand swapping batteries when I can just plug in a 10+ hour puppy like these (or 6 or 3 hour ones).
http://google.com/search?q=usb+daisy...pcformat.co.uk
1. It feels more sturdy and less flimsy (note: less cheap!) than my $1000+ 15" Dell notebook. Very solid, the Aluminum is nice.
2. Its considerably smaller and much, much lighter than my 15" Dell, but at the same time there is almost NO compromise with Screen Size and Keyboard. The MBA screen is almost as large as my Dell's seemingly, I have not noticed much of a difference going from one to the other. I picked up my Dell the other day after using the MBA for a few days, and honestly, it felt like a gigantic, bulky, brick!
3. Its fast and there are no bugs. No trackpad errors, nothing. I have parallels running with XP and several other apps like PS CS3, Logic 8, and Final Cut Pro 6. All aps run flawlessly with no lag, even when I have Parallels running XP at the same time.
4. Its definitely very, very portable! It makes a regular Macbook look large! Whats nice is that its uber-portable (smaller than a real book or notebook, the paper kind), yet it doesn't compromise and is full size. Apple hit a home run and made it the perfect size, they knew what they were doing.
5. The battery last at least 4 hours, if not very close to 5. Anything saying less is a lie. Then again, who listens to continuous loops of music playing for 2.5 hours while browsing the web with full brightness on? There's a reason we have iPods and screen brightness controls (to conserve battery).
6. It is whisper quiet. Its so quiet, you wonder if its even on sometimes. I've never heard a laptop so quiet. My Dell sounds like a Navy Aircraft next to the MBA. My girlfriend made a comment about this the other day, she was astonished by how quiet it is, and she is definitely not a techie, but she can appreciate good design.
Overall, its an amazing portable. Best Laptop I have ever owned hands-down. Its even better than my Powerbook G4 was at the time that I bought that laptop, and the G4 cost me almost $3000 back in those days. Its an amazing value honestly. The $1700 I paid (student discount) honestly feels cheap for such a great portable. The look, the feel, the performance, everything was executed very well. Nice touches like the backlit keyboard. Feels more expensive than it really is and makes you feel like you got it at a bargain!
Don't listen to the BS out there. The MBA is even better than I expected. Truly the best portable I have ever owned.
Out of curiosity, how much space would it have required to insert a second speaker?
Seriously now, do you expect a 10.2 surround sound experience from a laptop?
Sure, two would have been nice, but 1 is okay, it doesn't bother me. Who really listens to music on laptops for hours or watches movies on laptops with the sound blasting? Talk about being inconsiderate to others AND sounding crappy no matter what brand laptop your on.
If you want to listend to music on the go, buy an ipod or buy nice headphones as not to disturb others. Also, u can buy portable speakers if your in a hotel or something. If you want to watch a movie, do the same. Its that easy.
I was trying out the MBA and I thought that one mono speaker was pretty good. Obviously, NOT AS good as two (stereo) speakers, but acceptable. As mentioned earlier, only weird thing is that it is slightly to the right of the center of the keyboard which makes it sound kinda weird. In my opinion, a design error by Apple (they could have done better), but I understand why, there really is no space for anything else inside.
However, if you use your MBA to listen to music, just get a nice pair of headphones or earbuds. I'm just a regular student so for me, Apple's earbuds work good enough.
However, having read a few reviews, it seems the built-in microphone is mono as well and apparently not good enough for podcasting or video blogging? Any opinions of that, cause I don't wanna wear a headset while I make a video log...
Hey,
I was trying out the MBA and I thought that one mono speaker was pretty good. Obviously, NOT AS good as two (stereo) speakers, but acceptable. As mentioned earlier, only weird thing is that it is slightly to the right of the center of the keyboard which makes it sound kinda weird. In my opinion, a design error by Apple (they could have done better), but I understand why, there really is no space for anything else inside.
However, if you use your MBA to listen to music, just get a nice pair of headphones or earbuds. I'm just a regular student so for me, Apple's earbuds work good enough.
However, having read a few reviews, it seems the built-in microphone is mono as well and apparently not good enough for podcasting or video blogging? Any opinions of that, cause I don't wanna wear a headset while I make a video log...
mono should work fine. alot of recoding are made to be "collapsible" into mono so that vocals don't disappear on cheapo speakers. it has happened when people are careless. i'm sure the quality of the mic is fine, if they can fit a good one in a phone, they can fit it in a 13" laptop
Seriously now, do you expect a 10.2 surround sound experience from a laptop?
Sure, two would have been nice, but 1 is okay, it doesn't bother me. Who really listens to music on laptops for hours or watches movies on laptops with the sound blasting? Talk about being inconsiderate to others AND sounding crappy no matter what brand laptop your on.
If you want to listend to music on the go, buy an ipod or buy nice headphones as not to disturb others. Also, u can buy portable speakers if your in a hotel or something. If you want to watch a movie, do the same. Its that easy.
I FREQUENTLY listen to music (iTunes) on my laptop. Anytime I'm working in a hotel or private area, I will frequently have music playing in the background. I am not alone either. Many people also like to listen to music while working. Perhaps you are less common than you think.
Lugging around speakers lessens portability, and I don't like the idea of having earbuds in my ears for four hours every day.
I am not expecting a 7.1 surround sound system, and my post never implied that. I am simply asking how much space it would have required. It certainly would have increased weight by only an ounce or two.
I FREQUENTLY listen to music (iTunes) on my laptop. Anytime I'm working in a hotel or private area, I will frequently have music playing in the background. I am not alone either. Many people also like to listen to music while working. Perhaps you are less common than you think.
Lugging around speakers lessens portability, and I don't like the idea of having earbuds in my ears for four hours every day.
I am not expecting a 7.1 surround sound system, and my post never implied that. I am simply asking how much space it would have required. It certainly would have increased weight by only an ounce or two.
I'm sure if it was posible they would have done it, why would they make such an awesome laptop to skimp a speaker? the single speaker does sound pretty good though.
I'm sure they would have hit 2.9 pounds if they could possibly have arranged it.
...the answer is aboslutely nothing!
I have just played with my first MacBook Air in Apple's flagship store on London's Regent Street. I saw both the HDD and SSD versions. Jaw dropping is the only way to describe this machine. It is truly state-of-the-art.
There are five points to make about it:
1. Attach a USB 2.0 hub and you can run the DVD drive, an Ethernet dongle/ USB wireless data card, a hard disk drive for back up and a printer easily
2. Better still, buy Time Capsule and you have the same functionality without the hassle of wires and stuff sticking out from it.
3. The gesture touch pad is simply brilliant
4. The keyboard together with the screen size and brightness are so astonishing that it is easy to forget that this is a sub-notebook
5. SSD is noticeably faster than HDD in terms of booting up and loading. period.
If you primarily work with Office documents, email, the internet and have your music on iTunes,then I believe this could be your only computer.
Apple has omitted Ethenet and a DVD drive for very good reasons - they are yesterday's technology. Very soon Apple is going to do for movies what it has already done for music.
The form factor simply oozes "I want one". Brilliant.
As good as the current MacBook Pro and MacBook are, the MacBook Air makes them both look prehistoric. Any update of the MacBook Pro that doesn't provide the new keyboard, gesture touch pad and a thinner, lighter case design won't be enough, so won't sell.
Well done, Apple. 10/10.
There are five points to make about it:
1. Attach a USB 2.0 hub and you can run the DVD drive, an Ethernet dongle/ USB wireless data card, a hard disk drive for back up and a printer easily
Have you actually done this? The DVD drive takes more power than USB spec, there's no guarantee that the hub you use will supply it. USB ports on hubs are supposed to have protection circuitry to prevent current overdraw. If that circuitry isn't there, then there might be a chance the hub will be damaged.
Ok. Coming from an Air owner:
1. It feels more sturdy and less flimsy (note: less cheap!) than my $1000+ 15" Dell notebook. Very solid, the Aluminum is nice.
2. Its considerably smaller and much, much lighter than my 15" Dell, but at the same time there is almost NO compromise with Screen Size and Keyboard. The MBA screen is almost as large as my Dell's seemingly, I have not noticed much of a difference going from one to the other. I picked up my Dell the other day after using the MBA for a few days, and honestly, it felt like a gigantic, bulky, brick!
3. Its fast and there are no bugs. No trackpad errors, nothing. I have parallels running with XP and several other apps like PS CS3, Logic 8, and Final Cut Pro 6. All aps run flawlessly with no lag, even when I have Parallels running XP at the same time.
4. Its definitely very, very portable! It makes a regular Macbook look large! Whats nice is that its uber-portable (smaller than a real book or notebook, the paper kind), yet it doesn't compromise and is full size. Apple hit a home run and made it the perfect size, they knew what they were doing.
5. The battery last at least 4 hours, if not very close to 5. Anything saying less is a lie. Then again, who listens to continuous loops of music playing for 2.5 hours while browsing the web with full brightness on? There's a reason we have iPods and screen brightness controls (to conserve battery).
6. It is whisper quiet. Its so quiet, you wonder if its even on sometimes. I've never heard a laptop so quiet. My Dell sounds like a Navy Aircraft next to the MBA. My girlfriend made a comment about this the other day, she was astonished by how quiet it is, and she is definitely not a techie, but she can appreciate good design.
Overall, its an amazing portable. Best Laptop I have ever owned hands-down. Its even better than my Powerbook G4 was at the time that I bought that laptop, and the G4 cost me almost $3000 back in those days. Its an amazing value honestly. The $1700 I paid (student discount) honestly feels cheap for such a great portable. The look, the feel, the performance, everything was executed very well. Nice touches like the backlit keyboard. Feels more expensive than it really is and makes you feel like you got it at a bargain!
Don't listen to the BS out there. The MBA is even better than I expected. Truly the best portable I have ever owned.
This sounds like my post (that I haven't made yet!) right down to the 15" Dell. I am using this Air more than I am the Dell now. And zero flaws or problems so far.
How dare you guys who have actually bought one and used it try to tell us the MacBook Air is good? Can't you read? The trolls have spoken!